Sanitary janitor tool



United States Patent() i SANITARY- JNITORTOL Bryan Thompson, Houston,` Tex. Application-June 4,1952,-"S'ril`fN6. 291,601@

2 Claims. (Cl. 294-61) This invention relates to a manually operable tool for gathering leaves, trash, refuse and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a tool which will enable a person to pick up or gather leaves and news papers or other refuse from the ground without touching the refuse with the hands.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refusegathering tool which includes a manually operable mecha nism for ejecting the refuse from the tool when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gathering tool which is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts through the same:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, with parts `broken away and in section, showing the refuse-gathering tool constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the tool of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 22 designates a rectangular shaped head which may be made of any suitable material.

Projecting from the head 22 is a plurality of spaced, pointed prongs or pins 23, and the prongs 23 are arranged in spaced, parallel relation with respect to each other. Each of the prongs 23 may be a nail, and each includes a head 25 which is snugly seated in a countersunk recess 24, the recesses 24 being arranged in one side of the head 22, Figure 3. Arranged adjacent to one side of the head 22 and secured Vthereto by a plurality of screws 27 is a cover 26. l

The tool includes an elongated hollow stern 36 which is exteriorly threaded at its lower end 30 to be removably received in the threader aperture 31 in the head 22. Rej ciprocably or slidably arranged in the stem 36 is a tube 37. A lever 38 is adapted to be engaged by the users foot, is secured to the tube 37 in any suitable manner, as by welding, and the lever 38 projects through slots 0r cutouts 39 which are arranged in the lstern 36. Arranged adjacent the upper end of the stem'36 is a handle 40' which is hollow and includes a sleeve 41 for engagement with the upper end of stern 36. j j i A plate 4t) is mounted for movement toward and away from the head 22 in order to eject refuse from the prongs 23. The plate 40 is of substantially the same conguration as the head 22. The lower end of the tube 37 is threaded exteriorly, as at 41, and this threaded end 41 threadedly engages a central opening in the plate-40 so that as the tube 37 is reciprocated by means of the lever 3S, the plate 4l) will likewise move along the prongs 23.

A means is provided for normally urging the plate 40 into a position contiguous to the head 22 or into the position shown in Figure l. This means comprises a coil spring 42 which has one end secured to the lower cev end of a shaft or .bolt 43, the` upper. end of the bolt-13 beingconnectedto the handle 40. Tlie` lower'end of the coilspringv42 isl provided witha-.hook 44,- and/the hook 44 s` arranged in engagementiwith a pin-.45, the pin 45 being connectedtothetube 37. Thus, the coil spring 42 normally urges` the plate.40 .into a. position contiguous `to the head 22.

The tool shown inf Figure. Y 1,v is. adapted` to .be used: for gathering up heavien refuse, andi-the user. grips the handle 40 and forces the prongs` 23 through the refuse to be gathered up. Then, the tool is positioned over the receiving receptacle and the lever 38 is urged downwardly by means of the users foot. This downward movement of the lever 38 causes the tube 37 to move downwardly in the stern 36, whereby the plate 40 will move away from the head 22 to thereby eject the refuse from the prongs 23. When pressure is released on the lever 38, the coil spring 42 will return the tube and plate to the positions shown in Figure l.

The tool shown in Figure 1 is suitable for heavy work, such as picking up newspapers, bags of refuse and the like, and that may be scattered up and down a highway. The lever 38 is'operated by the users foot, so that the refuse can be discharged into a truck bed if desired. The various parts of the tools can be made of aluminum or any other suitable material. The tools of the present invention can be used for picking up and discarding waste paper, leaves and trash, and should nd wide use on Army posts, parks, and on Government grounds. Also, housewives will find ready use for the tool, since refuse can be picked up without the necessity of touching the refuse with the hands.

The tool of the present invention is adapted or designed to be made with as many or as few needles as desired. In Figures l-3, there is shown 36 needles, nine one way and four the other. The head is in three parts and consists of the cover, center plate and the discard plate. The cover is 1A: inch thick, the center plate 1/2 inch, and the discard plate 1A inch thick. This makes up the head, three in one and this head design is 7zx3x41 inches. However, the tool can have four different head designs, including the rectangular shaped head which is shown in Figures 1-3 of the drawings or, the head can be square, round or triangular. The needles are eight penny box or common nails.

I claim:

l. In a refuse-gathering tool, a hollow elongated stel a hollow handle arranged transversely with respect to the upper end of said stem and secured thereto, a tube slidably arranged in said stern, there being opposed openings in said stem, a lever secured to said tube and projecting through said openings, a head secured to the lower end of said stern, a cover secured to said head, a

. plurality of spaced parallel prongs projecting from said head, an ejector mechanism including a plate secured to said tube and mounted for movement toward and away from said head, there being a plurality of spaced openings in said plate for slidably receiving said prongs, a rst bolt secured to said handle and extending into said hollow stem, a second bolt mounted in the end of the tube remote from said head transversely of said tube, and a coil spring having one end connected to said first bolt and the opposite end connected to said second bolt for normally urging said plate into a position adjacent to said head.

2. A refuse gathering tool, comprising a hollow elon Patented.y Mar. 13,. .1956.

adjacent the lower end thereof, a lever extending transversely through said tube and projecting through said slots, said lever including an upper ilat surface, a head secured to the lower end of said stem, a cover secured to said head and being of the same length and width as said head, a plurality of spaced parallel prongs projecting from said head and each having a pointed end, an ejector mechanism including a plate secured to said tube and mounted for movement toward and away from said head, said plate having the same length and width as said cover and head, there being a plurality of spaced openings in said plate for slidably receiving said prongs, a pin connected to the upper end of said tube, a bolt extending from said handle into said stem, a coil spring for normally urging said plate into a position adjacent to said head,A the upper end of said coil spring being connected to said bolt and the lower end of said coil spring having a hook engaging said pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,246,487 Summers et al Nov. 13, 1917 1,993,314 Belford Mar. 5, 1935 2,194,016 Geller Mar. 19, 1940 2,500,647 Schulthess Mar. 14, 1950 

